


The Muffin Man

by SpaceButterflies



Series: The Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Friends [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Christmas Special, Comedy, Gen, Tia and Sam Traumatizing Teenagers with Cookies Since 2018, comedy treated seriously, it's a rewrite, it's not exactly a crack fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-07 18:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16859125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceButterflies/pseuds/SpaceButterflies
Summary: It's the start of Christmas Break, and students all over Paris are celebrating. That is until the Muffin Man makes his grand entrance and turns Paris into a gigantic candy land.Can Ladybug and Chat Noir stop him before he turns the entire world into a dessert case?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo. I just want to clear something up, I am not stealing this idea from TheStainedDreamer. We came up with this idea together on discord, and they were originally writing it but was unpleased with how it was turning out, so I took it over because we really like the idea. They just weren't sure how to go about it.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Caline Bustier smiles as she eyes her classroom. Her students were chatting away, discussing their plans for the upcoming holiday. Many of them were going out of town to be with family, while others were having family come to stay with them. She reaches under her desk and pulls out a gift bag.

"Alright now everyone," she claps her hands together to get their attention. "I know we're all excited to start our Christmas breaks, but I have gifts for everyone!" she beams at their excitement.

"Now, these aren't to be opened before Christmas," she instructs as she hands out the envelopes and candy canes to her class. She sees a hand shoot up. "Yes, Kim, you can eat the candy cane whenever you want."

The bell rings and she watches as the children scramble to collect their things and begin flooding out the door. "Merry Christmas everyone!"

 

"Alright, it's snowing!" Marinette hears Alix cheer once they're outside. She eyes the envelope Miss Bustier had given her, _'Open ASAP'_ was written on it, much to her confusion. She sucks her candy cane, eyebrows furrowing.

She nearly drops the envelope when she hears a shriek, whirling around to find Juleka struggling to get snow out of the back of her shirt, while her older brother laughs. Marinette stifles a laugh as Juleka returns the favor by grabbing a fistful of snow and shoving it in his face.

Rose, with her own handful of snow, gasps, and rushes to Luka's aid. "Juleka! Don't be mean!" she says, hugging Luka around the middle, the older boy sticking his tongue out at his sister as he hugs the blonde.

Luka lets out a sharp gasp when Rose's snow-covered hands go under his shirt, and he releases her as she giggles. "You guys are mean!" he says with a pout, earning a laugh from Marinette.

"You started it," she says.

Luka smiles at her, wiping the snow from his face. "Yeah, I guess I did." he walks up to her. "So, how are you spending your Christmas Break?"

Marinette shrugs. "I don't know really, usually this time of year we're slammed with orders but with the fire..." she trails off. "I guess I'll work on my knitting." she muses.

"Would you teach me?" he asks, face flushing when she looks at him with surprise. "I just need something to do with my hands so I'm not disturbing Juleka or my mom in the middle of the night, and knitting sounds fun."

She smiles. "I'd be happy to, Luka. But you need to teach me the guitar in return, deal?"

"Deal."

 

Back at the Césaire apartment, Tom Dupain can be found in the kitchen, saying nothing as he gets everything he needs to bake a batch of cookies. Sabine watches him from the doorway with a frown. Their insurance agent has just dropped the bomb that their insurance would not be able to cover the cost of the repairs for the bakery. The most it could do is replace some of the equipment, but there wasn't enough to repair the building itself. Their _home_.

"Tom? Are you alright?" 

"I'm okay, honey," he says with a reassuring smile, taking her off guard. "I just thought I'd make some gingerbread men for the kids before they came home." he turns back to the counter, humming a tune.

Sabine blinks a few times. "Alright... Do you want any help?"

"Nope! I have everything covered! You go rest, okay? You don't always get the chance this time of year, so relax and leave the cookies to me, okay?" he flashes another smile, and this time she smiles back. Once she leaves the kitchen, he turns to the counter staring at the ingredients there.

He runs on autopilot as he mixes his dry ingredients, cracking the eggs and whisking everything together. He knew that there was no possible way that things would be repaired by Christmas, but, he also knew it wasn't fair to his family to not have a home for the holiday either.

The Césaire's have been so kind to them all these weeks since the fire, taking them in and treating them like family, and he's grateful to them. Without them, they would have nowhere else to go.

Tears roll down his cheeks, and his shoulders tremble as he chokes back a sob. He feels like a complete utter failure. 

What kind of a husband and father can't even provide for his family? 

 

"Ah, Christmas," a smile plays across Hawk Moth's face. "A time for good cheer. But for those unable to provide the very best for their families, it brings nothing but despair and misery." he extends a hand outward, one of the many white butterflies in the room landing in his palm. He closes his hand over it, tainting it with dark energy before releasing it. "Now fly away, my dear little Akuma." 

"Let us help this poor man give his family the Christmas they deserve."

 

Tom wipes his eyes on his sleeve and grabs the rolling pin to roll out the dough when he sees something black in the corner of his eye. He has to do a double take when the black butterfly flutters to him. He grabs the rolling pin, ready to squash it like you would a fly, but the second it makes contact with the insect, it turns black and the nagging little voice in the back of his mind becomes louder.

 _"Seasons Greetings, Muffin Man."_ Hawk Moth's voice echoes in his head. _"My name is Hawk Moth."_

"I know who you are," Tom says through gritted teeth. He tightly grips the edge of the counter. "And I know what you want. I won't help you."

 _"Oh, but sir, all I want is to help you."_ his tone takes a sympathetic tone. _"You and I may walk different paths in life, but we both desire the same thing. We both want to keep our families safe. To give them the very best we can."_

 _"I want to help you keep your wife and daughter safe, but in return, I need Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous' so I can keep my wife and children safe as well."_ Tom's hand slips from the counter and falls to his side, and Hawk Moth grins in his lair. _"You're the only one who understands what it's like... To be so close yet so far... Let me help you."_

Tom screws his eyes shut and exhales slowly. "You've got yourself a deal, Hawk Moth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tom: *is sad because he just wants his family to have a nice Christmas*
> 
> Hawk Moth: It's free real estate.
> 
>  
> 
> Stay tuned for Chapter Two! I'll do my best to have the entire thing up by Christmas!


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, here's chapter two. I hope you like it :D

Adrien watches the snowfall from his bedroom window while Plagg stuffs himself with camembert. Bored, Adrien leans on the windowsill, watching the snow intently. An idea pops into his head and he spins around, grabbing his scarf and coat before hurrying out the room.

He rushes downstairs and into his father's office, finding the person he was looking for on one of the seats in the center of the room, book in lap. Adrien grins and quietly walks up behind him before jumping forward and wrapping his arms around him, pouting some when it doesn't get a reaction.

"You saw me coming, didn't you?"

"Our windows _are_ very reflective," at that, Adrien glances up at the window, scowling at their reflection. His brother takes note of his coat and scarf and tilts his head back to look at him. "Aren't you hot?"

"Yes, but not for long." he smiles, hugging Félix tighter. "Take a break and come outside with me."

"Adrien, I can't right now," Félix answers with a sigh, turning back to the book.

"Please?"

"Later, okay?"

Félix raises the book up when Adrien hoists himself over the back of the sofa, dramatically falling into his lap with an arm over his head. He lowers his arms, using his younger brother as an armrest as he flips through the book, ignoring his whining. This goes on for a few more minutes before he rolls his eyes and looks down at him.

"Has anyone told you that you're really dramatic?"

"It's the model in me,"

Félix snorts and closes the book, shoving Adrien off his lap and onto the floor. "Alright, you wore me down, let's go outside."

Adrien grins and jumps to his feet. Before he can say anything, the house shakes and he falls forward. When the shaking finally stops, he pulls himself out of his brothers hold and looks around. Nothing was damaged, but...

 

"Is everyone okay?" Marinette calls out to her classmates as she gets to her feet, slipping some in the snow. She looks around, finding everyone helping one another to stand.

"I think we're okay," Alya answers. "What _was_ that?"

"An akuma turned all the buildings into gingerbread houses," Alix states matter of factually. Marinette goes to question her, but her voice dies in her throat upon seeing, that an akuma had, in fact, turned all the buildings into gingerbread houses.

But that wasn't all. The lamp posts had been turned into candy canes, giant, glowing gumdrops hanging from them serving as the lamp. The parked cars nearby were now made of candy, with peppermints as their wheels. The sidewalk turned into giant chocolate bars, the street now resembles a chocolate chip cookie, and the trees were transformed into gigantic lollipops.

Marinette swallows hard. This was too many sweets, even for her. "Everyone!" she calls. "Get somewhere safe until Ladybug and C--" she's cut off by everything shaking again.

Screams are heard in the distance, and people scramble out of the way as a gigantic dog made entirely out of gingerbread runs towards them. Marinette's frozen in place, trying to comprehend everything that's going on, only moving when Luka grabs her wrist and pulls her into a run. 

 

Everyone scatters, running in different directions as the dog bounds down the street, shaking and knocking over everything in its path. Marinette and Luka turn a corner, and the ground keeps shaking under them as the dog is right behind them.

They're unable to get too far before the dog lunges at them, roughly pinning them down under both of its paws. But rather than bite them, the dog instead licks Marinette across the face, covering her in thick icing.

"Ugh, gross,"

"Marinette!" someone calls her name and she opens an eye to see who. "Honey, are you alright?"

Marinette's breath hitches, eyes widening. A man dressed as a baker with two red circles on either side of his face stands before her. Candy decorated his suit, gumdrops serve as his buttons, his apron, and the cuffs of his pants and sleeves were decorated like a gingerbread man, with icing running along the edges in swirled patterns. His hat looked like a giant muffin, covering most of his head but leaving his face with two red circles on either cheek sticking out.

Her eyes fall on the butterfly on his apron, drawing with icing, and her heart sinks into her stomach.

"Papa--"

The akuma smiles gently. "Let's get you home, dear. Your mother's waiting." he shoos the dog away, frowning when Marinette makes no move to take his outstretched hand. "Marinette, what's wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?"

He watches as she backs up, grabbing Luka's wrist. "Oh, is this one of your friends?" the man smiles brightly, taking the boy by the hand and shaking it. "It's lovely to meet you, I'm the Muffin Man, you can come too if you want. It'll be safe there while I take Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous' for Hawk Moth."

"It's uh... It's nice to meet you, too... Sir." Luka stammers.

"Papa, why are you helping Hawk Moth?" Marinette demands. "He's using you!"

Muffin Man blinks before smiling again. "Hawk Moth is helping me provide for you and your mother, and that's the least I could do for him. Us fathers have to stick together, you know."

 

"Oh man, do I feel bad for that kid," 

Everyone turns their attention to Chat Noir, casually perched on one of the candy cane lamposts. "Don't you know there's a leash law in this neighborhood?" he gestures to the dog as it chews on another one of the lamposts as if it were a bone.

The Muffin Man's cheery demeanor is gone within an instant. "You! Give me your Miraculous!"

"You know, everyone always tells me to give them my Miraculous, but no one ever says 'please'," Chat muses, putting a hand on his cheek. "What happened to parents teaching their children about 'please' and 'thank you'?"

Marinette tunes out whatever it is Chat says next when Luka tugs on her sleeve. "He's buying us time to run," he whispers. 

She opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out when she and Chat Noir lock eyes with one another. His eyes dart to an alley not too far away, and she nods, tightening her hold on Luka's wrist. They quietly back away while Muffin Man is distracted, turning swiftly on their heels and running down the street once far enough away.

The Muffin Man catches sight of this from the corner of his eye. "Marinette, wait!" he calls, reaching for them, only turning back when the dog begins growling.

Chat Noir smiles and hops down from the lamp post, pulling out his staff. "Well, now that it's just you and me, let's have some fun."

Muffin Man glares daggers at the boy in front of him, he climbs onto the dog's back, holding its collar with one hand, and the rolling pin with the other. He points it at Chat Noir "Fetch!" he orders and the dog growls lowly before pouncing at Chat who easily leaps away.

The dog gives chase, barking all the way as it chases Chat Noir down the street. Chat grins and calls over his shoulder; "Run, run, run as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

 

Marinette and Luka only stop running once they're positive they've reached a dead end. They stand perfectly still, holding their breaths as the listen for either The Muffin Man or the dog. When everything stays silent, they exhale and take much needed deep breaths.

Marinette begins pacing as Tikki comes out of her purse, Luka's eyebrows furrowing when he sees her limping as she walks.

"Marinette--"

"I'm fine," Marinette states bluntly. She puts a hand on the wall beside her and applies pressure on her left foot. Pain shoots up her ankle and leg and she quickly sits on the ground. Luka joining her, quickly apologizing when she winces as he rolls up her pant leg.

"I think you twisted it," he says. "Probably when that dog knocked you down..."

"Well, I'm just going to have to walk it off," she says stubbornly.

"Marinette, you _can't_." Tikki says. "You'll only make it worse if you try and fight with your ankle like that."

"I have to! I have to save Papa!" she slams her fist down on the brick wall behind her, the action causing Luka to flinch.

"Marinette, you need to calm down," Tikki says calmly. "You won't be any help to him at all like this,"

"But I--"

"I'll do it." the two turn to Luka. "Tikki's right, you'll just hurt yourself more, and... You shouldn't have to fight your dad."

"Luka..." Marinette looks at Tikki, seeing the Kwami give her a nod. She takes a deep, calming breath. "You're right." she reaches up and pulls out the earrings, and Luka does the same. They exchange earrings, Marinette stowing his in her coat pocket while Luka places hers in his ears.

Luka rises to his feet and looks at the Kwami. "Tikki, spots on!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chat: I feel bad for Hawk Moth's kid
> 
> Chat: *is Hawk Moth's kid*
> 
> the irony.
> 
>  
> 
> the return of our son... Lukabug.
> 
> I'll see you guys in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter Three

Alya peers out the window, ducking when a gingerbread man marches by. She, Nino, and their classmates were hiding out in the school. Like everything else, it was transformed into a gingerbread replica of it's former self. The desks made of graham crackers, the lockers were giant pastries, and the floor was candy bark.

"I'm going out there." Alya marches towards the doors, only for Nino to grab her coat and hold her back. "Let go!"

"It's too dangerous out there right now! Those gingerbread dudes are all over the place and I don't want to find out what happens if they catch you!"

"We should wait until Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat the akuma," Myléne says softly.

"No way! That dog was after Marinette! I need to go find her and make sure she's okay!"

"Marinette's a tough girl," Alix comments. "I'm sure she has Clifford tamed by now."

Alya goes to argue, but a thud outside the room stops her. Kagami steps forward, foil in hand, with Kim and Ivan right behind her. She holds up three fingers, counting down to one before kicking the door open and pointing the foil directly at the intruders face.

 

Ladybug steps back, his hold on Marinette tightening out of instinct. Kagami blinks in surprise and quickly pulls the sword away, standing upright. 

"Marinette!" Alya rushes out of the room as Ladybug carefully sets her down. She instantly notices how Marinette doesn't put any weight on her foot and is at her side within seconds, Alix on the other. "What happened?"

"I twisted my ankle running away, I'll be fine," Marinette answers as they walk her inside the room, sitting her down at one of the desks.

"Where's Luka?" Juleka asks, hugging herself.

"We got separated," she answers. "But I'm sure he's okay, Juleka."

 

"I'm sorry," Kagami says, tearing Ladybug's attention away from the girls.

"Don't be. Stay on your guard like that, next time it might not be me,"

"Where's the regular Ladybug?" Kim questions, eyeing the superhero up and down.

Ladybug hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck. He's no good at coming up with things at the drop of a hat. "She had something personal to take care of before Christmas, so she left him in charge," Marinette answers. "Right, Ladybug?"

"Yes, that's right! I promise Chat Noir and I will have things back to normal soon." 

"I want an interview after all this is taken care of." Alya states and everyone looks at her. "What? He's _another Ladybug!_ That's a big scoop!"

"I'll be happy to answer some questions later, but for now, I need all of you to keep Marinette safe. The akuma he's--"

"It's my dad," Marinette says in a hushed tone, and the room falls completely silent. She takes a breath and looks at Ladybug. "Stop him. Please."

"I promise."

 

Chat Noir pants as he stands atop one of the many gingerbread buildings that lined the street. He's finally lost that dog, but now there are gingerbread men scouring the streets, and no signs of Ladybug whatsoever. He sighs and straightens up, using his staff to call her. 

"Come on, LB, pick up." he taps his foot impatiently. His head perks up when he hears the thundering barks of the dog in the distance, hanging up when he sees it chasing a red blur.

He rushes to Ladybug's aid as the dog trips on its own feet, giving him enough time to catch up to Ladybug while the dog recollects itself. Chat Noir opens his arms to catch Ladybug arms as the licorice flag pole the yo-yo wrapped around was cut in half by the wire.

"Hello, My Lady," he smiles with his eyes closed, feeling rather proud of himself. "It's so nice of you to drop in like this."

"Nice catch, Tomcat."

Chat Noir's eyes snap open and he looks down at the boy in his arms. "Doodlebug!" his voice cracks and he quickly clears his throat. "Hey, man, what uh... What are you doing here?"

"Filling in, the usual Ladybug had some personal stuff out of town, so she left me in charge." 

"Well, it's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you again too, Tomcat." Ladybug falls silent for a moment. "You can put me down anytime, you know."

The ground under them begins shaking again, and Chat Noir glances over his shoulder. The dog was up again and running right towards them. He betters his grip on Ladybug and runs as fast as he can, jumping onto one of the gingerbread houses and running along the rooftops.

 

Chat sets Ladybug down once he's sure it's safe and doubles over to pant and catch is breath. Ladybug rubs circles into his back.

"This is why I'm more of a cat person," he says, and Chat Noir beams as he stands up properly. Ladybug crosses his arms. "Any plans?"

"Sorry, I've been doing too much running to think of anything," Chat grins and flexes his arms. "Gotta stay in shape for you and our Lady, you know."

Ladybug smiles and rolls his eyes. His gaze turns to the city. It looked like something from a storybook. Or maybe one of those old Christmas Specials, or that game he and his sister played as kids. Even the Eifel Tower hadn't been spared, now constructed entirely of macarons and cake. He can see the Seine River just beyond the tower, and, while he can't tell for sure, he thinks it's now a river of chocolate. He can feel himself getting a cavity just by looking at it all.

Chat Noir glances at him, watching how he puts a hand to his chin, watching how his eyes follow the gingerbread soldiers scouring the ground below. He catches himself staring and looks away. He's often caught himself staring at the regular Ladybug like this, completely captivated by her, and he never imagined anyone else would have that same effect on him. 

"We need to find the Muffin Man," Ladybug says finally.

"The Muffin Man?"

"The Muffin Man."

"Who lives on Drury Lane?"

Ladybug lets out a groan and hides his smiling face in his hands, earning a laugh from Chat Noir. "I can't believe I walked into that!"

"It made you smile though," Chat says cheerfully.

Ladybug lowers his hands and smiles at Chat Noir. "It's amazing, Tomcat," Chat Noir looks at him with some confusions. "Out of all these sweets, you somehow manage to be the sweetest thing here."

Chat Noir's brain short circuits and his face turns a shade of red that could rival Ladybug's costume. He opens his mouth to respond, but no words come out.

"Ah, so you are capable of being rendered speechless," Ladybug notes. "I'll be sure to pass that on to the regular Ladybug." he takes out his yo-yo. "Now come on, I have a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I have to write Lukabug and Chat flirting. It is the law.


	4. Chapter 4

Ladybug's plan of taking out soldiers one by one until they worked their way to Muffin Man quickly backfired. There were many more gingerbread soldiers than he had initially thought, and it felt like the more they broke, the more popped up to take their place. They were surrounded by the smiling, candy cane-wielding, sentient cookies. 

He apologizes under his breath each time the yo-yo cuts through and breaks one of them, and he swears Chat Noir looks like he could start crying at any second.

"Do you have any other plans?" Chat pleads, ducking as a candy cane swings over his head.

"Lucky--" 

Chat Noir watches with wide eyes as Ladybug falls to the ground after swiftly being struck over the head with a candy cane. "Ladybug!"

More gingerbread soldiers surround him, blocking his path to Ladybug. He uses his staff to break some of them in half and vaults himself to Ladybug's side. He props the other boy up in one arm, letting out a growl as more of the soldiers advance on them. Dread washes over him, there's no way they can get out of this one. They were going to have their Miraculous' taken from them, and Paris, maybe the entire world would be at Hawk Moth's mercy. He closes his eyes and pulls Ladybug closer to his chest as he thinks about his friends, his family, and how he's let them down.

"I'm sorry..." his eyes snap open when he hears a voice in his head.

" _Chat Noir, my name is Paon Royale. You're massively outnumbered, and you know there's no way you can win this fight. Please, let me help you._ "

 

Kagami presses her back against the wall, holding up one hand to keep the others from moving forward while gripping her foil in the other. Once she's sure the coast is clear, she gestures for them to follow her as they run out of from their hiding place. 

The group skids to a sudden halt when they see a large panther standing over Ladybug and Chat Noir briefly before vanishing in a puff of blue smoke. Chunks of the gingerbread soldiers surrounded them, but they still weren't in the clear as a good baker's dozen charges at them.

"Chat Noir!"

Chat tears his eyes away from the feather in his palm, eyes widening as more cookies close in on them. The one closest to him stops in its tracks before falling apart, Kagami now standing between them and the rest of the batch.

He watches with amazement as she and other members of his class take on the soldiers, fighting with all their might until finally they've been defeated. He feels Ladybug move in his arms, and upon glancing down he finds that he's woken up and is gripping his head.

"What happened?" he croaks out and blinks a few times to adjusts his vision.

"We just saved your behinds, that's what," Alix says with a triumphant grin.

"We can't take all the credit," Kagami says. "That... thing, did most of the work."

"What _thing_?" Ladybug attempts to sit upright, but the world spins when he does and his head falls against Chat's shoulder.

"I'll explain later, Doodlebug," Chat Noir stands, scooping him up in his arms as he does. "For now, let's get somewhere safe so we can regroup."

 

Everyone's silent as they wait for the marching above them to come to a stop. They were able to find refuge in one of Paris' many underground tunnels, but like the rest of Paris, it had been affected by the Muffin Man's powers. 

"Is everyone alright?" Marinette asks as she slides off Ivan's back, sitting up against the wall, a series of 'yeahs' and 'yes ma'ams' serving as her response.

"Are you alright?" Chat Noir asks Ladybug in a hushed tone. "You took quite the blow to the head."

"I will be, just give me a few more minutes."

Marinette watches as Chat rubs Ladybug's back as he holds his head in his hands, taking note of how fondly he was smiling.

"So... What now?" Nathaniel asks.

"Simple, we go back out and fight." Kagami answers.

"We have to fight _even more_ of those guys?" Kim demands. "But-- But there's so many of them!"

"Oh, don't act like you've done much of anything," Alix crosses her arms, shooting him a glare. "We did most of the work," she gestures to Kagami and herself.

"All of them have those cute little smiles, and I can't bring myself to fight them!" Rose comments.

"We don't have a choice," Alya says. "We can't stay down here forever, we have to do something!"

Everyone starts talking at once and Ladybug presses his hands over his ears to try and block it out. Marinette screws her eyes shut, feeling her face grow hot with each passing second.

"Everyone _shut up!_ " she snaps suddenly, and everyone falls silent, all eyes on her. "Kagami's right, we have to go back out there." she stands using the wall to balance her self. "I know it's dangerous, but we don't have a choice."

"Marinette, you're hurt." Chat Noir stands up. "You can't go out there."

"I don't _care_. My father's been akumatized and my mother is in danger, I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing about it!" she and Chat Noir glare at each other.

"I'm not letting you put yourself in danger like that!" he argues. "You're _not_ going out there."

"I don't need your permission to save my family! What if it was your family? Wouldn't you do anything you can to save them?"

"I know what it's like to fight family! I've had to do it twice already and I'm not making you go through that!" Chat Noir's ears pin back when he realizes what he's said. He frowns and turns away from Marinette, avoiding any eye contact from anyone else. 

 

"Um," Max clears his throat. "Markov's back with the status report."

"Yes," the robot speaks, hovering around Max's head. "I've scanned the city and there are approximately 2,897 gingerbread soldiers left wandering about Paris, and 200 exactly within the Muffin Man's castle."

"His castle?" Ladybug lifts his head up.

"Yes," Markov shines a projector at the floor, showing a map of the city. "It's located here," a red circle appears around one of the buildings shown on the map.

"That's--"

"My house!" Marinette gasps.

"Do you have any details of the castle?" Ladybug asks. He stands to his feet as the still changes, the projector now aimed at the wall for a better view. His eyes scan the picture before him. "New plan, we storm the castle and take him head-on."

"Okay, sounds good, but how are we going to get past his guards?"

"Simple, we'll go with you and fight them off." Alix decides before Ladybug could answer.

"Absolutely not." both heroes say in unison.

"Oh come _on_ , we just saved your skins. We can handle this."

Ladybug and Chat Noir look at each other. Neither of them liked the idea, but they didn't really have much of a choice. Ladybug heaves a sigh. "Alright," he says. "But, only a handful of you can come, alright? It'll be too dangerous if we all go in together."

"I'll go," Kagami volunteers.

"Me too," Alix and Kim join her.

"Count me in,"

Kim scoffs and looks at Nathaniel. "No offense, but there's no way you can take on one of those soldiers." he blinks when Nathaniel takes him by the arm. "What are--" he lets out a shriek when the smaller boy easily flips him onto his back without so much as breaking a sweat. "I stand corrected."

Alix smiles proudly, putting her hands on her hips. "That's my boy!"

 

"I'm going too," Marinette states, she looks at Chat Noir. "At least let me look for my mom."

"I'll go with her to keep her from getting hurt," Alya grabs hold of her arm and smiles.

"And _I'll_ go to keep _her_ from getting hurt." Nino says.

Chat Noir heaves a sigh. "Promise you'll be careful?"

"I promise." she smiles when he gives her a nod.

 

"Ivan," Ladybug turns to him. "You keep everyone else here safe, okay?"

"You can count on me, Ladybug."

The still changes back to the map, a red line tracing a path from their current location to the castle. "Here is the safest route," Markov says as he prints it out on a piece of paper.

"Thanks, buddy." Ladybug takes the paper from him. "Alright, everyone, let's move out!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the entirety of this chapter in one day. I am proud of myself.
> 
> Paon Royale, friend or foe? guess we'll just have to wait and see.


	5. Chapter Five

A lone gingerbread soldier marches down the street, leaving small crumbs behind as it moves. It comes to a halt when it hears something in a back alley nearby. Shuffling over to investigate, it finds nothing more than a tin can that had rolled out of a dumpster. Carefully, the soldier picks the can up, returning it to the dumpster and being sure the lid was closed.

"Maybe we shouldn't attack it?"

"It's the only one around and we need the candy cane."

"But it's picking up litter!"

 

Ladybug and company watch from their hiding place as the gingerbread man continues picking up the trash lying around the dumpster, opening and closing the lid each time. He has the yo-yo at the ready, but he couldn't bring himself to attack it.

He does a double take when he sees Nathaniel sneaking up to the gingerbread man. Everyone freezes when the soldier suddenly stops. Nathaniel moving quickly and quietly to stay within its blind spot as it turns around. When nothing of interest catches its eye, the soldier returns to collecting the trash, giving Nathaniel the chance to grab the candy cane and hurry back to the group.

 

He clutches the cane close to his chest and slides down the wall, heaving a heavy sigh. "My moms were right. Ballet _does_ make you light on your feet."

"Way to go," Chat grins. "Now we just need... Five more and everyone will have a weapon."

"I can't do that five more times,"

"No need," Kim smiles. "I already have a weapon."

"Wait, you do?"

Kim's smile widens and he holds up something sharp, startling Ladybug and Marinette. "It's my candy cane from earlier! I made it sharp!"

"Man, why didn't I think of that?" Alix grumbles. "Hey, Nate, gimme your candy cane."

"Get your own!"

 

A short while later, Alix now has her own candy cane, stolen from a soldier that was preoccupied trying not to get eaten by a flock of pigeons. The group had taken pity on it and chased them away, leaving the soldier to continue its rounds. 

Kim's candy cane shiv had to be replaced when it broke after they were attacked by two soldiers, so now both he and Alya were armed.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want a weapon?" Ladybug asks Marinette and Nino.

"I'm sure," Marinette nods. "I don't think they'll try to hurt me, and besides, I can't do much fighting if I can't walk right."

"I don't think I'll need one either. Alya has one heck of a swing, those gingerbread dudes won't know what hit them" Nino says as he crouches down so Marinette can climb on his back. "Besides, my hands are full."

"I think it's safe to say none of us will be eating gingerbread men much after today," Kagami muses, flicking her foil to get the icing off it.

 

The gang stands atop one of the rooftops near what used to be the Dupain-Cheng bakery. The castle looks like something from a storybook. It has four watch towers connected to one another through a wall and a large, candy cane gate. Within the walls was something that looked like Cinderella's Castle made entirely from gingerbread and candy canes. The outside was heavily guarded by gingerbread soldiers and the gingerbread dog.

"How are we going to get past them?" Chat inquires.

Ladybug hums, searching for some sort of solution. He sighs when only one idea comes to mind, and he looks at Chat Noir. "Live bait,"

"Live b-- Now wait a minute!"

"It's the only way, and you're the only one who can outrun Krypto down there."

"And just what do you expect me to do? Dress up in drag and do the hula?!"

"Wait a minute," Marinette interrupts them. "I have a better idea."

 

The guards patrolling the entrance to the castle come to a sudden halt when Marinette hobbles over, using one of the candy canes as a crutch. The dog approaches her and sniffs her before barking and wagging its tail, licking her and drenching her in icing.

"Ugh," she struggles to wipe it off as the gates open.

"Marinette!" the Muffin Man rushes towards her, scooping her up in a tight hug. "You've come home!" he sets her down and scowls when she's unable to stand on both feet. "You're hurt. Which one of you hurt her?!" he bellows, causing the dog and soldiers to cower.

"They didn't hurt me," Marinette says, the statement calming him down. She swallows hard. "Papa, call them off, people are getting hurt. I'll stay here with you and mama, just like you want, but please... Please just call them off."

"I'll call them off once I have Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous'," he says. "Now come inside where it's safe." he gently takes her by the arm.

"Wait--" she plants her feet in the ground. " _No!_ " she yanks her arm free "I'm not going anywhere with you until you're back to normal!"

As if on cue, Ladybug and Chat Noir come out from hiding, landing on either side of her weapons at the ready. 

"It's over, Muffin Man,"

 

Hawk Moth's eyes widen ever so slightly at the sight he sees through Muffin Man's eyes. "The spare? Ah, so we meet again," he grips his cane tightly. "Muffin Man! They're keeping you from your daughter, be rid of them and take their Miraculous!"

 

Muffin Man snarls at the two superheroes. "You get away from her!" he pulls the rolling pin from his apron and points it at them, the soldiers surrounding them as the dog bares its teeth.

Ladybug and Chat Noir back up, keeping Marinette safely between them as the cookies close in on them. "You ready, Tomcat?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Doodlebug,"

With that, Chat Noir leaps in the air, landing square on the dog's snout. He sticks his tongue out at it, before jumping off and leading the dog in a chase. The dog tramples some of the soldiers in its path, giving the other teenagers the chance to charge. 

The Muffin Man watches with wide eyes as the group of teenagers with Ladybug at the helm fight against his soldiers. He has no idea where they had come from, but they were armed and fighting with all their might. Using their own weapons against them, the children were able to break them and make them nothing more than crumbs without much trouble. His grip on the rolling pin tightens, trying to will himself to summon more soldiers, but he hesitates.

" _What are you doing, Muffin Man?! Stop them now!_ "

"But... But they're only kids!"

" _You don't have to hurt them, just apprehend them!_ "

Another batch of the soldiers advances from behind them, only to be trampled by the dog when it runs up to them all, Chat Noir riding it's back with a triumphant grin.

"Nice dog," Ladybug comments when Chat Noir jumps down. "How'd you tame him?"

"He just needed to be tired out and given a good belly rub." Chat answers with a nod.

"Mr. Dupain," Ladybug takes a step forward, smiling gently when the man takes a step back. He holds out his hand. "It's going to be alright. Let us help you,"

Within a split second, Ladybug jumps back when the Muffin Man swings the rolling pin at him, and more gingerbread soldiers appear. They're quickly outnumbered as not only are they surrounded by the new soldiers, but the ones roaming the streets have joined the fight.

The gingerbread soldiers corral the group together, and Ladybug watches as they overpower the dog. Everyone starts calling out to Ladybug, asking him what to do, telling him they can't keep this up for much longer.

"Lucky Charm!" he tosses the yo-yo up in the air and catches the fine, long needle that it creates. "An... Acupuncture needle?" he blinks in confusion. His eyes quickly dart around for a solution, but nothing comes to him.

Marinette sees the Lucky Charm in his grip, and her eyes widen. She grabs him and pulls him down so she can quickly whisper something in his ear.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Ladybug gives her a curt nod, and quickly sticks the needle in his belt before scooping her up. "Chat, we need an exit!"

Chat Noir quickly stows away his staff. "Roger," he hesitates for a split second before extending his fist, holding his breath as a ball of energy forms in front of the ring. He lets it grow until it's the size of a tire. "Black Storm!"

 

The attack destroys all of the gingerbread within its path, giving the group an escape route. They run as quickly as they can, the two superheroes making sure the others were ahead of them. Chat Noir stops and turns around when Ladybug comes to a sudden halt.

"Ladybug?" he tenses when Ladybug places Marinette in his arms.

"You're in charge, I'll be right back."

"W-wait a minute! Where are you going?!"

Ladybug goes to answer but the beeping from the earrings cuts him off. "There's no time! Just keep everyone safe!"

 

The graham cracker doors slide open and the old man turns to his visitor. His eyebrows furrow. "You are not Marinette," he says plainly.

"I know, but, I can explain," Luka responds, stepping inside. Tikki zips out from his hoodie.

"Master, Marinette got hurt before she could transform so she gave the earrings to--"

"Luka Couffaine," Fu says. "I've been watching you since you first served as Ladybug when Marinette was akumatized." he offers the boy a kind smile. "If you're here then you must need assistance, am I right?"

Luka nods and follows Tikki further inside the room, watching as the elderly man pulls out a box. He sits when Fu motions him to.

"Luka Couffaine," Luka watches as the man places the box between them and it opens to reveal one large compartment and twelves drawers, each housing a piece of jewelry. "Pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you on this mission. Choose wisely; such power's on hand to serve a greater good. Once the mission is over, you must retrieve the Miraculous from them."

Luka eyes the different Miraculous, reaching to pick up the necklace with the fox tail but hesitating. 

"Choose wisely, Luka," Tikki says from his shoulder. "This may be our only chance."

He removes one of the necklaces from the side drawers on the box, and Fu looks at him with concern. "The Dragon Miraculous is very powerful, but also unpredictable. In the right hands it can bring peace and prosperity, but in the wrong hands it can bring chaos and destruction."

 

Luka smiles confidently. "I know just the hands to put it in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is Luka going to give the Miraculous too?
> 
> It's not who you're expecting, I'll tell you that.
> 
> Also, Nathaniel has two moms. I'm Sorry, I don't make the rules.


	6. Chapter Six

Ladybug rushes back to the battle, skidding to a halt when he finds that everything was quiet. Too quiet for his liking. There wasn't even a single soldier around. He jumps at a sudden sound, and whirls around to find Alix, Nathaniel and Rose dusting themselves off.

"What happened?" he demands. "Where is everyone?"

"They were all captured by the Muffin Man!" Rose exclaims, hands trembling.

"We were only able to get away because Chat Noir bought us some time, but the others..." Nathaniel looks away, hair falling into his eyes.

"He's still fighting," Alix says. "But he can't hold his own for too long. What are we going to do?"

Ladybug closes his eyes, tightly gripping the box in his hands. Everyone else had been captured, which meant he couldn't give the Miraculous to Kagami as he had planned. "Nathaniel, you take Rose somewhere safe, alright? Don't come out until I come to get you."

Nathaniel nods and takes Rose by the hand, leading her away. Ladybug turns to Alix. "Come with me,"

 

Alix taps her foot impatiently as she and Ladybug stand in an alley. "Okay, why are we just standing around when everyone is in--" she falls silent when Ladybug holds out a box to her.

"Alix Kubdel," he looks her in the eye. "I need your help. This is the Dragon Miraculous, it will give you the strength you need to help defeat the Muffin Man and save everyone. But I'll need it back as soon as we're done. Can I trust you?"

Alix hesitates before taking the box. "Absolutely, Ladybug." she looks up at him and he gives her a nod, prompting her to open the box. A glow emerges from the box and circles her before a small, dragon-like creature appears. "Woah, what is that?"

"My name is Longg, and I am your Kwami." the kwami introduces themselves, tail curling as Alix puts the necklace on. They look Alix over before giving Ladybug an uncertain look but gives him a nod when he sees the look on his face.

"I'm what gives you your power, to transform, simply say 'Longg, let's roar'." they explain calmly.

"Right," Alix grins. "Longg, let's roar!"

 

Chat Noir narrowly avoids being struck down by one of the gingerbread soldiers, swiftly using his staff to break it in half, but two more take its place. He's becoming sluggish, tired from fighting for so long on his own.

"Come on, Ladybug, where are you?!"

He stumbles to his knees and before he can get up, the hoard of cookies is on him, and all he can do is let them beat him. That's when he hears a familiar sound and all the cookies around him crumble into pieces. He looks up when Ladybug lands in front of him, fighting off the growing hoard.

"Sorry I'm late to the party," he says. "I hope don't mind if I brought a plus one."

Chat looks at him in confusion, but that confusion quickly leaves him when he lays his eyes on another superhero. 

A girl in a deep red suit with a pair of black, scaley clawed gloves go up to her elbows, and matching boots go up to her knees. Her torso was a lighter shade of red and has the same scaley effect as her gloves and boots, around her waist was a belt with a sword strapped to it, and dragon tail attached, spines running along it with three larger ones at the tip. Finally, to top it off, she wears a helmet that covered most of her face, with an orange-tinted visor protecting her eyes. Two large horns were on either side of the helmet, and smaller, black spines running down the back of it and the back of her neck.

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. Fighting an army of cookies," Chat uses his staff to knock one's head off. "The usual."

"Sounds fun," the girl unsheaths her sword. "The name's Wyvern. Let's kick some butt."

 

The Muffin Man watches as the three superheroes take on his troops. He goes to conjure up more soldiers, but instead, he stows the rolling pin in his apron's pocket once more and enters the battlefield, his troops falling back and making a path for him. Ladybug stands upright, and the two stare each other down as Chat Noir and Wyvern watch on.

"Mr. Dupain, please stop this. I can see you don't want to fight, and we don't have to, all you have to do is give me the Akuma and the fighting will stop."

"What I want more than anything is to keep my family safe, even if it means fighting you to do it. But I'll give you the chance to end this now before any more damage is done. Give me your Miraculous. Give me the earrings and I'll let your friends go." Muffin Man scowls at the look of defiance that crosses Ladybug's face. 

"Have it your way, then."

Ladybug rolls to the side when the Muffin Man lunges at him with the rolling pin and the battle resumes. He's soon surrounded by more gingerbread men that pop up from the batter that had dripped from the pin, and he easily cuts them down the wire of the yo-yo.

He continues to evade Muffin Man's attacks, trying to land his own attacks while breaking as many cookie soldiers as he can. His breath hitches when his back hits something and he whirls around and flings the yo-yo, the wire wrapping tightly around Chat Noir's staff, the other superhero ready to strike.

"Hey, guys?" Wyvern calls out. "Is it just me or are these things getting bigger?"

Ladybug retracts his yo-yo and takes a quick look around. They are getting bigger, and what's more, they're getting more violent with each batch. He curses under his breath.

"Lucky Charm!" he catches the pavise shield that falls from the sky and blinks. "Now what am I supposed to do with this?" he looks around.

Ladybug's eyes lock on Wyvern, the soldiers, Chat Noir and then the shield, and he lets out a gasp. "Wyvern! Do your thing!"

Wyvern blinks at him before grinning widely. "Dragon's Barrage!" Ladybug braces the shield on the ground and grabs Chat Noir, earning a yelp as he pulls him behind it.

Wyvern opens her mouth and lets out an ear-piercing roar that prompts the two to cover their ears. It shakes the ground and the cookie army freezes, cracks running up and down their bodies before they crumble into pieces. The ground cracks and breaks apart, the macaron Eifel Tower can be seen collapsing in the distance, and the gingerbread buildings fall in on themselves. 

When everything stops shaking and all falls silent, Ladybug peeks out from behind the shield, doing a quick look over of the area, dread washing over him.

Wyvern rubs her throat as one with a sore throat would. She blinks behind her visor, watching as Ladybug leaps from chunk to chunk of the cookie road towards where the Muffin Man's castle once stood, careful as to not upset the ground any further. Her eyes widen and she drops her sword when she sees just how much damage she's done.

 

Ladybug is forced to a halt when the Muffin Man rises to his feet, tightly gripping his rolling pin with a shaking hand. Drops of batter splatter on to the ground, creating more soldiers. He grits his teeth, he doesn't have time for another fight right now. Muffin Man raises the pin, ready to create even more of his troops, but he's tackled from behind before he has the chance.

Taken off guard, the rolling pin slips from the Muffin Man's grasp, bouncing off the ground as Nino struggles to pin him down. The pin rolls, nearly falling in one of the large cracks, only to be caught by Myléne.

The Muffin Man knocks Nino off his back. "Give that back!" he demands of the girl, causing her to flinch back. Ladybug's yo-yo tightly wraps around his torso, the superhero having to dig his heels into the ground to keep him in place.

"Myléne! Get the pin to Chat Noir!" Ladybug calls. Nino's back on his feet and grabs hold of the yo-yo wire, pulling against the Muffin Man to help Ladybug keep him still.

Myléne is frozen in place, unable to move as the akumatized man gets closer with each passing second. "I can't--" the encouragements from her friends fall on deaf ears as the cookies advance on her. She sings her song under breath and throws the rolling pin to her classmates.

"I got it!" Kim announces as he runs forward to catch it. He grins with triumph, only to frown when the cookies charge at him. "Heads up!"

Alya catches it next, and the cookies turn their attention on her, and a game of keep-away ensues. The group of teenagers tosses the rolling pin back and forth, keeping it out of the gingerbread men's grasps but not any closer to Chat Noir.

The rolling pin falls into Marinette's hands and Sabine takes the pin from her and glares at the man.

The Muffin Man stills and stops struggling against Ladybug's hold. "Honey--"

"Don't you 'honey' me," she says. "Look around you, do you really think that this would make Marinette and I happy? To have you be this cookie dictator?" she frowns. "I'm not going to sit by and let you do this, Tom."

"Sabine wait--"

Sabine tosses the rolling pin with all her might to Chat Noir. "Save him, Chat Noir!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

 

"No!" the Muffin Man breaks free of Ladybug's hold, causing Ladybug and Nino to fall back into the snow. He and Chat Noir both lunge for the pin.

"Cata--"

They both freeze. Ladybug pulls Nino to his feet, looking back to see why things have gone quiet. The rolling pin falls to the ground in two perfect halves, Kagami landing a few feet away with Wyvern's sword in hand. Chat's ears pin back in slight annoyance.

"Why do you always have to outdo me?" he grumbles as the Muffin Man falls to his knees.

The black butterfly crawls out of one of the halves, and Ladybug rushes forward. "That's enough trouble making out of you," he opens the yo-yo. "Time to de-evilize!"

He captures the Akuma, and when he releases it seconds later, it's once again its natural white color. He smiles at the insect as it flutters off. "See you around, little guy."

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

Before his eyes, Paris is returned to its natural state. The gingerbread buildings were once again brick and mortar, the ground looking as if nothing had happened at all, the road asphalt, the Eifel Tower wrought-iron, trees and lamposts no longer lollipops and candy canes. The swarm of ladybugs circle around Marinette, and lastly the Muffin Man before they disappear.

The dark aura once again takes the man over, but when it's gone, Tom Dupain is left in the Muffin Man's place. He blinks a few times, putting a hand to his head.

"What happened? How did I get out--" he's cut off when Sabine tackles him into a hug. "Honey! What's going on?" Marinette tackles him from behind, hugging him just as tight. "Did something happen?"

"We'll explain everything later," Sabine says. She looks up at the three superheroes and smiles. "Thank you,"

"You don't need to thank us, ma'am," Ladybug says. A sudden beeping catches his attention and he turns to Wyvern as she takes the sword back from Kagami.

She blinks. "That means I'm going to change back, right?"

"That's right," Chat Noir nods, another beep sounding off. "And so is Ladybug over here, which means you two gotta go." he gives Ladybug a wink. "Maybe next time we meet, we can finally have our date under the bleachers, eh Doodlebug?"

Ladybug snorts. "If we don't meet under the mistletoe first, that is." he grins as Chat's face turns red and he sputters. "I'll see you later, Tomcat."

 

Hawk Moth snarls, tightly gripping his cane. His shoulders shake with rage. "I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Ladybug because once I have your Miraculous and an army of my own it will be your last."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't have much to say other than I had fun writing the keep away scene.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is everyone, the final chapter. Thank's so much for reading

Hiding away in a secluded alley, Alix replaces the Miraculous in its box, handing to the Ladybug. She looks at the ground. "I screwed up, huh?"

"What?"

"You saw what I did out there! Was that even supposed to happen?"

"The Dragon Miraculous... It's hard to master, but we couldn't have done this without you, Alix." he puts a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

Alix smiles. "Yeah, don't mention it." she knocks his hand off her shoulder when his earrings beep again. "Now go on before you change back."

Ladybug smiles and grapples onto a nearby flagpole. "Oh, I need one more favor before I leave. Can you go get Rose and Nathaniel? Tell them it's safe?"

"Leave it to me," she watches the superhero vanish over the rooftops. Turning away she puts cups her hands around her mouth. "Yo, nerd! Where are you?"

 

Master Fu smiles as he replaces the Miracle Box within it's hiding place. "You did very well, Luka," he says as he turns back to him. "Marinette was wise to trust the Ladybug Miraculous with you."

Luka rubs his neck. "Thank you, but there's no way I could have done this by myself, without Chat Noir and Wyvern who knows what would have happened."

"There's no use in worrying about what might have been," the old man says as he sits down. "Right now it's best to worry about getting those earrings back to Marinette."

Luka gives a nod and stands up, Tikki burrowing inside his coat only to poke her head out and smile up at him. "Thank you again, sir. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Luka." 

"Master, why didn't you ask him about the Peacock Miraculous?" Wayzz asks, hovering in front of him. "What if it's being used for ill intent like the Butterfly?"

"I believe that he would have told me if he had seen anything," he answers. "We'll find who has it soon enough, all we can do in the meantime is hope it's in good hands..."

 

Adrien lands in his bedroom, pulling his scarf loose and letting out a tired sigh "Man, if I never see gingerbread again it'll be too soon..." he sluggishly drags himself out the room.

"Tell me about it," Plagg agrees. "But I wouldn't have minded it if everything had been turned into camembert,"

"I don't think I could stand the smell..." he walks into his brother in the hall, not bothering to back away and instead buries his face in his sweater.

"Are you alright?" Félix asks, coughing into his sleeve before clearing his throat. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"I'm okay," he answers. "But I'm tired... Sugar crash."

"... Adrien did you _eat_ part of the house?"

"Of course not. Now the garden, well I can't say much about that." he laughs, feeling his brother dust the snow from his hair. "Father never lets me have sweets, so I couldn't help myself."

"Be sure to brush your teeth and--." Félix breaks into another cough, causing Adrien to pull away from him and look at him with concern.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine,"

"You sure? You look pretty tired."

"Your brother's been working himself a bit too hard as of late as well as not taking proper care of himself," Nathalie says, not bothering to look up from her tablet as she walks down the hall. "If I had to guess he's fighting off a cold," she gives Félix a stern look. 

"I suggest taking what's left of the day as well as tomorrow to rest to keep it from getting worse."

"Yes, ma'am..."

Adrien smiles and links his arm with his brother, leading him towards his bedroom. "We can go to my room and watch that boring American Christmas Movie you like,"

" _Miracle on 34th Street_ is a classic, Adrien."

"Classics can be boring, Félix."

 

Marinette smiles as she watches her parents work in the kitchen. Sabine was reassuring Tom that he didn't hurt anyone when he was akumatized for the third time that evening. Neither of them told him about her twisted ankle, it didn't matter now anyway, the Miraculous Ladybug cure took care of that for her.

She pulls the envelope she had gotten earlier that day out and stares at it, reading the 'OPEN ASAP' written on it in red marker. She opens it, eyes widening at its contents;

A check written by Mayor Bourgeois addressed to her parents, more specifically for the baker. With it was a small note that simply read ' _Merry Christmas'_ , signed by one Chloé Bourgeois. She pouts as she hears a knock at the door, followed by Nora calling for Alya. 

"Well now I _have_ to get her something..." she mumbles.

 

"Marinette, it's for you!"

Marinette looks away from the note and pushes herself away from the counter and walks to the door. "Luka!" she smiles at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to return your uh..." he pauses. "Notes... From school."

Alya raises an eyebrow at this. "Schools out until the New Year and you're two grades higher than us." she shrugs and turns away. "Just say you're here to make out and get on with it."

"Alya!" Marinette shoves her, face red. "Go... Blog." she grabs her coat and steps outside, closing the door before slipping it on. 

 

"So, my notes from school, huh?"

"Lying's never been a strong suit of mine," Luka explains. "That and coming up with something creative on the spot is hard..."

"Honesty is important, Luka," Tikki says, popping her head out of the collar of Luka's coat. "An honest Ladybug is a good Ladybug."

Luka smiles at the Kwami. "I guess so," he reaches up and removes the earrings, handing them to Marinette. "Thanks for lending me your notes," he winks.

Marinette snorts. "I should be thanking you, I don't think I could have done it..." she looks down at the ground as Tikki flies over to sit on her shoulder.

"I'm happy to help, Marinette. If you ever need me again, you know where to find me." 

She nods, looking up at him with a smile. "Since Ladybug's out of town for the holidays, maybe you could fill in for a few patrols? So you can Chat Noir can have your mistletoe date behind the bleachers?"

Luka's face flushes. "I don't know _what_ you are talking about."

Marinette rolls her eyes and smiles. "Sure, sure." she digs into her pocket and hands him his earrings back. "You wanna come inside? Papa just finished making gingerbread men, and they're really good."

Luka looks at her with shock. "How can you eat them after everything that happened today?"

"I'm tough as nails," she answers. "So don't cross me or I'll mess you up." 

Luka smiles at her. "No offense, but I feel like I'm being threatened by a cupcake."

"I'm the toughest cupcake you'll ever meet,"

"Sure you are," he laughs. "I'd love to come inside and be reminded of the murders I committed today, but I need to go home, my grandparents are coming for Christmas and we have to clean up or my grandfather will have a heart attack... Or worse."

"Alright," Marinette reaches up and kisses his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Luka."

"Merry Christmas, Marinette."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed our Christmas Special! It was a lot of fun to write c:
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone! and to those who don't celebrate it, have a very Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year!


End file.
